{image by Rube Goldberg, via Wonderopolis}
Our Upper Middle School students are currently working on creating Rube Goldberg Machines in Science class. Don’t know what these are? They are complicated and zany contraptions that use chain reactions to complete a very simple task. The following videos and website will show you…
Even if you don’t have a UMS student who is working on this kind of project, our younger kids who have studied simple machines will appreciate them, and they are just plain fun for all ages. (We will try to get some video of our SLOCA Rube Goldberg machines when they are finished!)
The Fortune Telling Machine – A great example of a Rube Goldberg machine, made by a student, with a fitting ending:
Isaac Newton vs. Rube Goldberg – Short and clever:
Honda: The Cog – You’ve probably seen this before, but it’s a classic! We read that it took 606 takes to film this commercial:
OK Go’s music video “This Too Shall Pass” – This is one giant, ridiculous Rube Goldberg machine:
Sesame Street: Rube Goldberg Machines! – A Sesame Street segment all about simple machines and Rube Goldberg:
Smallest Rube Goldberg Machine: Seiko sets world record:
World’s largest Rube Goldberg machine lights up Christmas tree:
Here’s a quick biography of Rube Goldberg:
Find more about Rube at rubegoldberg.com
There’s even an app called Rube Works – a Rube Goldberg machine invention game!
Enjoy watching Rube Goldberg machines in action, and maybe your kids will want to try making their own! (Which would count for E&E, right?)
